Dock No. 2 At Chatham Yard

Dock No. 2 at Chatham Yard, recently opened, 1858. 'The Dock recently completed at Chatham, known as No. 2 Dock...was commenced in October, 1855, and completed in October of the present year. It was built by Messrs. J. and C. Rigby, from the designs of the director of engineering and architectural works of the Admiralty. The dimensions of the dock [in feet] are as follows: Length from caisson to the coping - 395; Length on the floor from caisson to head of dock - 360; Depth from coping to floor - 31; Width on the floor - 30; Width between coping - 35. The floor of the dock is constructed with Cornish and Devonshire granite, bedded on brickwork in cement, which is laid on a thick bed of concrete. The sides are also built with the same description of granite, filled in at the back with brickwork laid in cement, and backed with concrete of great thickness; it is also provided with slides at the head and sides'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858. Creator: Smyth. (Photo by The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty Images)